From SHS Sweethearts to Shorewood Supporters

Peter and Sarah Hammond are co-chairing the SHS centennial celebration

BY JENNIFER ANDERSON

PHOTO BY PATRICK MANNING

Education Spotlight

Like many Shorewood High School alumni, Peter and Sarah Hammond have fond memories of their years as students. The Hammonds’ affection for SHS runs deep, given it’s where they met and fell in love nearly 40 years ago. Today, the two have teamed up as co-presidents of the Shorewood Alumni Association, spearheading activities that will celebrate the high school’s 100th year in 2024.

“We both feel we wouldn’t be where we are today were it not for the amazing experience we had at Shorewood High School,” says Sarah. She was on the SHS gymnastics and swim teams, in musicals and captained the pom-pom squad, while Peter played football, ran track, was student council president and was deeply involved in the renowned drama program.

Today and while raising their four children (all SHS graduates), the couple has focused on community involvement. Sarah, the co-founder of an executive and life coaching firm, is a longtime member of the Shorewood SEED Foundation board and has managed countless fundraisers and events for her children’s sports teams and clubs. Peter, a managing director at Milwaukee-based investment bank Robert W. Baird, was chair of the Shorewood Community

Development Authority for seven years, at the helm while the group strategized how to best support and encourage affordable housing in the Village.

As co-chairs of the Alumni Association, their top goals are to strengthen the ties between alums and the school and raise critical funding.

“We know that connection is one of the top indicators of life satisfaction and happiness,” Sarah says. “Our hope is to build on the successes past alumni groups have had in bringing people together. We want people to come back to the schools to see their teachers and for students to be able to take advantage of all the knowledge and networks the alums have. There is so much potential to develop lasting bonds that can benefit everyone.”

One part of that is to recognize the school’s 100-year history and support initiatives that uphold the main pillars of the SHS mission: to educate students, to cultivate a desire for life-long improvement, and to nurture a sense of responsibility, integrity and good citizenship within the framework of a challenging curriculum.

To initiate the run-up to next year’s centennial, the couple helped organize an all-class reunion this past July, a half-day party on the SHS front lawn complete with custom tee shirts, music and a bounce house, as well as a happy hour in Hubbard Park. SHS Principal Tim Kenney also gave tours highlighting recent SHS renovations.

“I had high hopes for the event as a way to kick-start enthusiasm for the centennial, but it exceeded my expectations,” Kenney says. “Sarah and Peter’s planning and teamwork resulted in a fantastic day that was enjoyed by generations of Shorewood grads. The Alumni Association is an integral part of our school community, and we are incredibly lucky to have them at the helm.” n